


Day Three Hundred: It's Futile

by 365daysofsasuhina



Series: 365 Days of SasuHina 2019 [300]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Cyberpunk, F/M, Gen, Gun Violence, Mild Language, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-01
Updated: 2019-11-01
Packaged: 2021-01-16 07:55:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,814
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21267647
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/365daysofsasuhina/pseuds/365daysofsasuhina
Summary: It would just be a simple job, she thought...no big deal. Ha...yeah right. Nothing is ever simple when you find yourself mixed up with a gang...





	Day Three Hundred: It's Futile

**Author's Note:**

> (This is a sequel to days 250, 254, and 269!)

“Sir, please...I need you to calm d-”

“Y-you don’t understand! This thing, it’s...it’s _killing_ me! Since the model is outdated, my insurance won’t cover it...a-and I can’t afford to have it replaced! And fixing something this old...no one’ll do it, let alone have the parts. And it’ll cost me too much! Please...there’s gotta be _something_ you can do!”

Head in her hands as she tries to think, Hinata mutes herself while she heaves a gusty sigh. How many times a day does she hear stories like this…? It’s all part of her job, she _has_ to numb herself to it, and yet...it eats at her. Every time she has to turn someone down for help, it kills her a little more inside. What she wouldn’t give to find a new job, but they’re so scarce…

“...sir,” she then offers, reenabling her communication mod. As she does, furtive glances side to side show her colleagues busy with calls of their own...and their floor manager is nowhere in sight. Cupping a hand over her ear, she makes to act as if she’s simply leaning her head into her palm.

But as she does, a new transmission - text-based - begins sending alongside the call.

“I’m so sorry, but your policy is...is clear. There’s nothing I can do. If your model is outdated and no longer within the service pool, it cannot be w-worked on and be covered. You’ll have to have it replaced.”

Via text, she sends him, _I know an underground biotech who can help. Meet me, and we can see her together to get something figured out. Her high-paying clients help cover those like you. Don’t reply to this text until after five o’clock to give me your answer._ She then adds coordinates and a time for a meeting.

There’s a long pause as he clearly goes over her message. “I...I understand. Thank you for your time, miss. I’ll...I’ll think over my options and see what I can do.”

“All right then, sir. I hope you have a good rest of your day.”

“...I’ll try.”

Letting the call end, Hinata sits back in her chair with a heavy sigh. Oh, if only she could do that for everyone…! But this particular client is suffering from a mod that aids in regulating his heart rate. It could _literally kill him_ if it doesn’t get fixed, and soon. Someone with a loose elbow socket or a cosmetic mod that keeps turning their hair green is _not_ as needing of care. Her underground contact will be able to help him...if he agrees to meet. There’s a risk on all sides, after all...this is very, _very_ illegal.

...but it’s also a matter of life or death.

Technically Hinata can’t arrange any of it until she’s off the clock. Sending that text was risky - she has a relay scrambler to help cover her tracks while she’s connected to the company’s network, but she only uses it when absolutely necessary as not to gain attention to herself. If she were caught going through back doors to help clients that would otherwise be denied their claims? Not _only_ would she lose her job, she’d end up in jail. The government takes mod regulation very, _very_ seriously.

...Hinata knows that well, as both the daughter of a mod mogul, and being someone who’s worked in mod claims for several years now. Few are aware of the ins and outs - and the corruption - of the industry more than her.

She originally got this job hoping she’d be able to help people. Her father’s greed and bowing to the governmental contracts meant a great deal of suffering. Surely companies like the one she found herself working for after her father disowned her would help remedy it, right?

Ha...wrong. They don’t exist to help people...they exist to extort people. And though Hinata does her little bits of good when she can...overall, she’s hardly making a dent.

Hence taking opportunities like this when she can. Any small difference in the grand scheme might be a huge impact one just one life. And for her...for now...that’s enough.

...just like when she hauled that Uchiha out of the litter and took him to the same doctor she’ll be taking this man to, if all goes well.

Which reminds her...this might be a good way to get his debt repaid…! Then she won’t have to worry about him randomly showing up like he did a few days ago, trying to get her to assign him a task to relieve the debt. He’d agreed to serve as a makeshift bodyguard the next time she arranged a meeting like this. It’s perfect…!

She doubts anything will go wrong - it hasn’t yet. But either way, they’ll be out of each other’s hair.

So when her shift ends and she’s cut off from the company network, she steps outside and has her communicator mod dial him.

“Talk.”

Unable to help a small jump at the blunt answer, she stutters, “I-I, um...this is Hinata. Uchiha-san…?”

“I know it’s you.”

“Oh...well, I just wanted to forewarn you, I might have an upcoming job for you. To...to settle the debt?”

“Perfect. Just send me the details and I’ll be there.”

“All right...thank you.”

“Mm.”

The line then goes dead, and she decides to head to her meeting place. She has about twenty minutes - plenty of time. If he shows, she’ll take him to the doc. If not...well, she did all she could. She can hardly force him. Until she knows, however, there’s no point in calling Sasuke in case the man doesn’t show.

The time comes...and then goes. Deciding to wait, Hinata pretends to scroll through her feed along her palm, not wanting to look suspicious.

Ten minutes after the designated time, she’s almost ready to leave when a man walks up beside her.

“H...Hyūga-san…?”

“That’s me. You must be Ito-san?”

“Yes...you - you said you could help me?”

“I can take you to someone who can,” Hinata offers, giving him a small smile. “But we have to be careful...if you would, I’d like to call a...friend of mine to go with us. Just to make sure we’re safe.”

“Oh...are they trustworthy?”

“...yes. It won’t take him long to get here, I just need to call.” Dialing hands-free, Hinata hears Sasuke answer before offering, “Can you make it to my location?”

“Lucky for you, I’m a block away. Had a feeling it would be soon.”

“Thank you.” Disconnecting, Hinata gives the patient another brief smile. “Just a minute, sir.”

When Sasuke approaches, however, Ito goes white as a sheet. “I-is he…?”

“A friend,” Hinata insists, giving Sasuke a look. “It’s not too far, so he won’t be with us long. As I said, it’s just to make sure we arrive safely.”

“...right…” Tone faint, Ito follows as Hinata leads the way toward the doc’s shop, who she sends a mentally-dictated text to forewarning of their arrival.

_Got it. I’ll be ready for you in ten._

Rounding the last corner, Hinata can’t help a small gasp as someone suddenly lifts an arm, barring her path as the limb rests at eye level. Ito, beside her, also goes stock still as, from every shadow outside the clinic, men begin to appear.

“Well, well...look who showed up. This the one?”

Nearby, a sunken-eyed man looks Hinata over. “...yeah. That’s her. That’s the one I saw talkin’ to the Uchiha the other day.”

Ohhh shit.

“...p-please sir, I...I have a client that needs -”

“I don’t care about your client, sweetheart,” one of the other yakuza offers, lazily letting his bat rest over his shoulder. “The Uchiha. Where is he?”

“...I-I…” Is he not behind them…? Did he see the ambush coming and bolt?

“I know you two’re in cahoots. So, you tell me where he is...and I don’t gotta bust your kneecaps. Sound like a d-?”

Like a cord-pulled machine, the man suddenly goes slack, crumbling to the alley floor. There’s a moment of shock, and Hinata uses it to drag Ito back around the corner as gunfire rings out.

“O-oh gods...oh gods…!”

“Please, just stay calm!”

“M-my chest...I-I can’t…!”

Panic mounting, Hinata tries to glance around to the chaos. She doesn’t see Sasuke: only the half a dozen goons firing wildly at a ghost.

“Get out here, bastard!” one calls. “It’s futile! I don’t give a shit what mods you have, you’re not takin’ down all of us!”

“Wanna bet?”

In what looks like a flicker, Sasuke stands beside him, pistol to the man’s head before it goes off with a muffled bang. The firestorm starts all over, Hinata flinching back from the sounds. Ito, in the interim, doesn’t look good...she _has_ to get him to the clinic...!

With a roar, an engine flares to life, and a hoverbike screams out from the building toward them. Whipping around, the doc shouts, “GET ON!”

Hefting Ito into the sidecar, Hinata sits behind the doctor, who - for now - circles around the block to buy time.

“What’s going on?”

“I-I don’t know!”

"What about the patient?”

“F...faulty, outdated pacemaker mod. It’s been giving him pain, and I think he might be having a heart attack from the stress!”

Ducking into another alley, Ryū powers down the engine, tossing a piece of tech to the sideroad mouth. An image flickers to life, a hologram hiding their presence as it displays an empty alleyway.

“Let me see.”

Moving out of the way, Hinata lets her work, watching nervously as she attempts to save his life.

This is _not_ what she had in mind…!

By now, police sirens are blaring, and the stimuli are almost making her head swim. Leaning against a building for stability, Hinata does her best to stay calm. But all she can do is worry about Ito, and Sasuke…

…is he still alive? Has he been arrested? If he was...it’s all her fault...she dragged him into -

“Gotcha!”

Crying out, Hinata finds herself lifted by an arm around the throat, pulled out past the hologram and tossed into a van. Doors quickly slam shut, and tires squeal.

“You chose the _wrong_ side in this little turf war, missy,” one of the gangsters offers.

Struggling to breathe in her panic, she can still make out the leaf tattoo along the man’s neck.

...Senju.

Oh gods.

As they fly from the scene, Hinata can’t help but recall the doctor’s words: about helping so many Uchiha. If they found her...will they…? And Sasuke...is he still alive? He...he must be. Why else would they take her? She doesn’t know anything or anyone else!

...or maybe they think she does.

Either way...things just went from bad to worse.

**Author's Note:**

> More cyberpunk AU! And uh...things got a little messy :'D Here Hinata thought she'd be getting out of a problem, and now...well, quite clearly, she's got an even BIGGER problem! Fun!
> 
> I really really REALLY like this verse xD I've even been writing a liiittle bit of it with my OC, too (the doc in this mini series) over on my other account...and I wanna do more! But hopefully I'll have a good prompt soon to do more here, cuz...well, cliffhanger! Sorry xD
> 
> Anyway, it's SUPER late and I'm falling asleep on my keyboard, so I better go lol - thanks for reading!


End file.
